Jasper can't focus on the movie playing on the living room television. Everyone else seems able too, but the feeling of the whole family together seems foreign to him. Emmett and Edward keep their eyes glued to the TV. Rosalie takes the occasional glance at her phone. Carlisle is sitting on the couch with Esme curled up by his side. His arms are around her and she rests her head on him as she watches the movie.

The whole house is happy to have her home, but Jasper can't shake this strange feeling. Esme walks in and immediately projects a motherly love. She just got home from the hospital but acts as if nothing happened.

If it were Jasper's biological mom, she would have been sulking for days.

"Do you need something, sweetheart?" Esme asks Jasper, who quickly looks away. He shakes his head no.

Even though everything with Maria, Esme stayed kind and loving. Why could his real mom be like that?

Jasper sighs and turns back to the movie.


"I don't want to go!" Jasper huffs in the back seat of the Mercedes.

"You don't have a choice, Jasper." Carlisle grumbles and clenches the steering wheel.

"You can't make me."

"Stop arguing." Carlisle snaps.

"I don't want to!"

"Jasper, honey," Esme chimes in. "This is important. You need to cooperate."

"I don't want to go talk to some lawyer about something he has no business in!" Jasper shoots back.

"Lose the attitude! You don't talk to her like that!" Carlisle scolds angrily.

"Jasper," Esme keeps her voice even. "This has to be done. It won't be pleasant, but we have to. Carlisle and I will be right next to you the whole way."

Jasper crosses his arms and slouches in his seat. He takes a deep breath before continuing.

"How many people do I have to talk to?" He asks through clenched teeth. "A lawyer, a therapist, probably a judge. Is that all?"

"I believe so." Esme says.

"I don't want to."

"Enough, Jasper. You've been whining all day about this." Carlisle groans.

Jasper leans his head against the window. He wishes he could just forget about Maria. Finding out that she never really loved him was hard enough, but then to hear that she was receiving pictures from other boys too, that's just enough to tear him apart. His whole body tenses as he tried to push down those broken hearted emotions.

"You need to be nicer to him." Esme whispers to her husband as she gives him a disappointed stare.

"He needs to know how to act." He mumbles back.

"His whole work has been turned upside down. Be kind and gentle with him."

Carlisle takes a deep breath. He knows Jasper is hurting, but he's also fighting Carlisle on ever move he makes to try to help him. Carlisle knows Jasper is still just a child, so he might not realize how important these decisions are, but if he would just cooperate he would realize how much Carlisle is helping him.

They pull into the parking lot outside of the lawyers office. Carlisle cuts the engine and reminds himself of Esme's words.

"Are you okay, kiddo?" He asks softly, looking at Jasper in the rear view mirror. Jasper wipes his teary eyes with one hand. Carlisle sighs and reaches his arm back to set his hand on Jasper's knee. As soon as Jasper feels the contact, he yanks his knee away. Carlisle clenches his jaw as he returns his arm to the front of the car. "We're about ten minutes early. Take this time to compose yourself. You cannot cock an attitude with the lawyer."

Jasper doesn't respond. He tries to focus on even breathing, but he can't seem to take anything more than an uneven breath. He blinks rapidly to try to keep his tears at bay, but they roll down his face anyways.

"Esme, Carlisle," He says in a shaky voice. "You guys will be right there?"

"Of course we will." Esme promises again. She digs trough her purse for a tissue and passes it to Jasper.

"We won't let you go through this alone, buddy." Carlisle adds on.

Jasper only acknowledges them with a quick nod. Another moment passes by before he takes a deep breath and wipes his face once more with Esme's tissue.

"Okay. I'm ready. Let's do this."

Hi everyone! I'd like to apologize for abandoning this story for over a year. Over the past month or so I can't get JWiD out of my mind, so I'm going to start writing for it again. I'm already starting on the next chapter, and I am fully planning on finishing this story. I hope you enjoy. Please review!